Stay With Me
by erinnwhoaxo
Summary: After Buffy has been resurrected, she's been acting strange. Dawn wanting things to go back to the way they were confronts Buffy and breaks down.


Takes place after Buffy is resurrected. A scene that I think should have happened between Dawn and Buffy to show how much Dawn really needs Buffy around.

Dawn arrives home from a friends house to find Buffy sitting on the couch staring into space.

"Buffy?" Dawn says hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Buffy says softly.

Dawn sits down next to her and stares at her for a few seconds then down at her hands. She knows something is wrong with her. She hasn't been the same since she's been back. She's been cold and distant. She barely utters a word to anyone anymore.

"I'm gonna go to bed." Buffy says staring at the floor.

"Maybe we can, I don't know, stay up? Watch a movie?" Dawn says hopeful.

"I'm tired." Buffy replies looking straight ahead at the stairs.

"Oh. Okay."

Dawn starts to feel even more hurt and ignored than ever. She holds back to tears and watches as Buffy starts to walk away.

"You said you'd always be there. That you'd always love me." Dawn blurts out in a soft voice.

"Dawn..."

"No. Don't. I get it. You don't want me anymore. You don't love me."

Dawn's eyes flood with tears and she runs past Buffy up the stairs and slams her door.

Buffy, not knowing what to do, stands still for a minute and then walks upstairs. As she gets closer to Dawn's room, she can hear her sobs. Buffy knocks.

"Go away!" Dawn yells.

Buffy opens the door and takes a couple steps into her room.

"Hey. I do love you, Dawn. I do. I'm sorry. I'm just really confused and I'm trying to adjust and get back to the way things were but..." Buffy pauses.

"But what? Huh? You're back where you belong and you don't even care. You're back with people who love you and all you've been doing is pushing us away!"

"It's not that simple. You don't know where I've been and-" Dawn cuts Buffy off.

"What about where we have been? What about where I have been for the past month and a half?" Dawn starts to get angry.

Dawn swings her legs off the bed to let them hang. She begins to sob and moves her chin to her chest. Buffy stands in shock of what's going on.

"No one knows this... but you know the Buffybot? Every single night when everyone was asleep I would go into your room and lay with her. Because she was the closest thing I had to you."

"Dawn.." Buffy has tears in her eyes.

"Do you know what it feels like to not be able to touch or have a normal conversation with the person that means the most to you? Do you know what it feels like to not be able to talk to you? To hold you? I tried so hard to be strong but I can't anymore. I need you Buffy. I need you here with me. I need you here."

"I'm right here.." Buffy looks at Dawn.

"You're here but... you're not. I can't lose you again Buffy. Do you understand that?"

"I'm so sorry Dawn. God. I'm so sorry." Buffy begins to sob. "What can I do to make things better?"

"Be here. Talk to me. Look at me. God, Buffy, will you just... will you just hold me?" Dawn buries her head in her hands.

After a couple of seconds she feels something touch her back and then her hand. Dawn looks up to see Buffy sitting right next to her. They look at each other for a second.

"Come here." Buffy says still sobbing.

She takes Dawn in her arms. Dawn loses it and is sobbing so hard that her vision becomes blurry.

"Oh, Dawn. Shhhh. It's okay. I'm here now. Shhh." Buffy says in a soft comforting voice.

They let go of each other. Buffy moves her whole body onto the bed and lays her head on the pillows. She grabs Dawn's arm and pulls her into her chest stoking her hair with one hand and her back with the other.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Dawn says in a shakey tone.

"Of course." Buffy replies as she kisses Dawn's forehead.

Dawn reaches for Buffy's hand and holds it tightly.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let go. Please."

"I won't. I promise. I'm right here." Buffy says and she holds Dawn tighter.

They both fall asleep holding each other moments later.


End file.
